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Claim: GamerGate just got a woman fired

The movement, which has been ripped for harassing women, may have just scored a big victory in a perceived war against women in gaming.

Nintendo has fired product marketing specialist Alison Rapp, a frequent target of a movement known as “GamerGate” that is known to harass women in gaming — and many are claiming it was GamerGate’s targeting of her that caused Nintendo to pull the plug.

Rapp wrote on Twitter that Nintendo no longer saw her as a “good, safe represetative,” according to an IGN report.

Rapp was at the center of a controversy over the localization of Fire Emblem Fates in its US release in February, due to content that was altered from the original Japanese release. Rapp said she had nothing to do with the content changes, but GamerGate — a loose collection of individuals often associated with the harassment of women, and even death threats against women who get involved in gaming in a way they don’t like — campaigned aggressively against her.

Nintendo denied that GamerGate’s pressure caused them to fire Rapp, saying in a statement to IGN: “Alison Rapp was terminated due to violation of an internal company policy involving holding a second job in conflict with Nintendo’s corporate culture. Though Ms. Rapp’s termination follows her being the subject of criticism from certain groups via social media several weeks ago, the two are absolutely not related. Nintendo is a company committed to fostering inclusion and diversity in both our company and the broader video game industry and we firmly reject the harassment of individuals based on gender, race or personal beliefs. We wish Ms. Rapp well in her future endeavors.”

Rapp later admitted to moonlighting under a fake name, but said such a practice is accepted at Nintendo.

In a subreddit known as “KotakuInAction,” which is the headquarters of the GamerGate movement on Reddit, GamerGaters were celebrating the firing as a victory for them against the rising influence of women in games.

“She was bringing her sociopolitical anti-culture feminist jargon into gaming and flaunting it by attacking gamers on twitter long before this happened,” wrote user creepsville. “She deserved what she got. She has no place in the culture of gaming if sh’s [sic] out to help people destroy it and remake it in their own perverse image.”

“She better not get hired back,” added user Dzjill.

“She is a prime example of everything that is wrong with that weirdo brigade of non educated and overly useless flemwads of society that, repeatedly, show themselves to be exactly what the vast majority knows them to be which is nothing other than utterly and completely a stain to society as a whole,” opined user msc11.

User MulligantawnySoup called Rapp a “lying, self-promoting sack of ****.”

@alisonrapp’s tweets on the firing:

“Today, the decision was made: I am no longer a good, safe representative of Nintendo, and my employment has been terminated.”

“I do want to also say that I had some truly incredible coworkers at Nintendo, and I’d love it if you continued to support them. <3”

“Also, if you hear about any cool opportunities in Seattle, feel free to hit me up. Thanks, friends!”